How Many Teams Will Make The Nfl Playoffs In 2021?
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The NFL playoffs are expanding from 14 to 16 teams for the 2020 season. This means that there will be more teams vying for a spot in the playoffs. So, how many teams will make the playoffs in 2021?
How the NFL Playoff System Works
In order to determine how many teams make the NFL playoffs, one must first understand how the NFL playoff system works.
The NFL playoff system is a tournament that culminates with the Super Bowl, the league’s championship game.
The playoffs are composed of six teams from each of the league’s two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).
In each conference, the four division winners and two wild card teams (the two teams with the best records who did not win their divisions) are seeded one through six, based on their regular season records.
The top two seeds receive a first-round bye, while the remaining four play in the Wild Card round. The winners of those games advance to the Divisional round, where they play the top seeds in each conference.
The winners of those games then advance to the Conference Championship round, with the winners of each conference meeting in the Super Bowl.
So, in order to make the playoffs, a team must either win their division or be one of the two best teams in their conference who did not win their division.
How Many Teams Will Make the Playoffs in 2021?
The NFL is an ever-changing league, and 2021 will be no different. With an influx of new talent and several teams on the rise, the playoff picture could look very different come January. So, how many teams will make the playoffs in 2021?
AFC
In the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers have clinched the AFC North, while the Kansas City Chiefs have wrapped up the AFC West. The Buffalo Bills have clinched a playoff berth and are in position to win the AFC East, while the Tennessee Titans are in control of their own destiny in the AFC South. The Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens are all vying for a wild card spot.
NFC
In the NFC, there are six playoff spots available. The four division winners will automatically qualify for the playoffs, while the two remaining spots will go to the wild card teams with the best records.
-The NFC East and NFC West each have four teams that could realistically make a push for a playoff spot. The Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks are currently in first place in their respective divisions, but the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams are right behind them. The Washington Football Team and Arizona Cardinals are also in contention.
-In the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers appear to be the only team that is locks to make the playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are currently fighting for second place, but both teams have struggled this season. The Detroit Lions are out of contention.
-The NFC South is wide open, as all four teams are within one game of first place. The New Orleans Saints currently hold the top spot, but they are closely followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons.
Conclusion
The NFL playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the Regular Season to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL). Six teams from each of the league’s two conferences qualify for the playoffs. seeded according to their regular season records. The tournament culminates with the Super Bowl, the league’s championship game.